Whiskey Lullaby A Jack Sparrow OneShot
by Morningglory5510
Summary: Okay, so here's a Jack Sparrow Song-fic! I'm not much of a Sparrabeth fan, but it fit! The song is Whiskey Lullaby by Brad Paisley and Allison Krauss, read, review, and enjoy!


**Disclaimer: I own nothing! All of this is purely fanmade, just for you to enjoy! The song is Whiskey Lullaby by Brad Paisley and Allison Krauss! Umm, read, review, and most importantly, enjoy!  
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Captain Jack Sparrow stood at the wheel of the Black Pearl, dark eyes intent on the small piece of land he could see. Though the sea had always been his love, there was something else now, someone else, and at that moment he knew he was going home.

Almost three years ago he had to leave her. There was one final voyage he had to go on before he could settle on land with her forever. Though it was difficult for both of them, he had to go. Now he was coming back to her.

He swayed slightly as the ship rocked and lifted his head, a barely noticeable smile on his lips. They were making great time, they would be there before nightfall.

"Cap'n," Gibbs, his first mate shouted, breaking Jack from his thoughts.

Jack's eyes snapped down to the portly man on the deck below and waited for him to finish what he was saying.

"We're getting close," he said.

Dark eyes lifted to see that indeed, the Black Pearl was almost too close to the shore.

"Aye," Jack replied. "Bring her around!"

This was one of the last orders he would give his crew, he knew. Then he would be turning over his ship to his most trusted mate, Gibbs. It was bittersweet, but Jack knew he could give it up for this one person in the world.

The deck of the mighty ship erupted into movement as the crew went to go about their orders. Because they were pirates, the ship couldn't be docked just anywhere, especially in sight of such town like Port Royal.

Jack turned the wheel just slightly and headed in the direction of a cave off to the side of the town. Nobody could see the ship there and it wasn't a far sail in a rowboat.

The sun beat down on Jack Sparrow's tanned body as he stared intently at the land as if looking at it could somehow bring it closer.

"We're devil's and black sheep, and really bad eggs," he sung softly to himself. "Drink up me hearties, yo ho."

The port today was bustling with people, one of which stuck out from the rest of the crowd. It wasn't because she was the governor's daughter or because she wore beautiful clothes while everyone else was dressed in near rags. No, she stuck out because she was the only one there who's eyes held a far off look, as if stuck in some distant misery.

Elizabeth Swann had been like this for quite some time, hardly anybody noticed it anymore except for her father and occasionally her nightly lover, a blacksmith from the lower parts of the town. Her father was worried, the boy never said a word.

Elizabeth found her way to the shore and looked out at the ocean that surround her home. It was something she did everyday, waiting for the one she truly loved to come back like he'd promised all those years ago. Almost three to the day.

She caught a ship on the horizon, a dark ship, and for a moment her hope sparked and she almost thought it was him, on his way back to her. All of her hopes were crushed when it turned away, heading to her left, not toward her lonely port.

Ms. Swann sighed lowly and felt her heavy heart throb, feeling as though there were rocks in her heart, weighing her down.

Normally she could stay out here for hours, staring out at the horizon until something like that happened and she was forced to return home. Today she knew she couldn't stay here with the depression filling her mind and body until she could barely stand. She shivered, though it wasn't cold, and turned to return to her home.

Nobody stopped her, no one ever stopped her anymore because after he'd left she stopped talking to them. Now they knew better than to engage her in anything more than idle, polite conversation for more than a few minutes.

Her head was downcast, her feet sweeping the dusty ground almost as if she were gliding along, as if she were a ghost. In many ways she was, a ghost of her former self, long since dead.

Elizabeth Swann's home was on the outskirts of town. She insisted before he left that she had to have her own place that way when he returned he wouldn't have to hide, he could just be with her. It now seemed a blessing that she wasn't with people at all hours and she didn't have to pretend for her father or his maids and butlers.

She entered the house and swept the door closed behind her, locking away the outside world and keeping herself in.

Bringing the ship inside the cave took longer than they expected and by the time all was said and done the sun had sunk down below the waters of the sea and the moon was high in the sky. Jack had wanted to surprise her tonight when he got back, but by now he knew she was probably in bed, sleeping. He would have to wait until morning.

As the crew dropped the anchor and slowly made their way downstairs to sleep Jack made his own way to his cabin. Tonight would be the last night he spent in this room, he'd already cleared all of his possessions away. Everything he didn't need was left for Gibbs to use when he was captain of the Pearl.

Jack laid down on his bed and closed his eyes, breathing in deeply. This was it, the last day of being a free pirate. Tomorrow he would give this all up forever to be with the woman he loved.

He gave a sigh of content before slowly falling asleep.

It was a peaceful night of sleep for Jack Sparrow and when he woke he was ready to go. There was nothing keeping his tied to this ship any longer. He knew it was in good hands and now he was ready for the next chapter in his life.

Jack got out of bed and quickly shoved his feet into his boots, fixing his wrinkled clothing because he didn't feel much like changing. He fixed his red bandana and placed his tri-corner hat atop his head before walking out of his room for the last time.

The crew was waiting on the deck, everyone already awake. They were waiting to bid him farewell.

Jack walked down the line of his crew, each one saying something or nodding to their captain. At the end Gibbs stepped out of line, halting Jack on his way to the rowboat with all of his things.

"The Black Pearl's yours if you ever want to come back," the man said.

Jack grinned, "Good man."With that the captain of the Black Pearl entered his rowboat and handed over his ship to his trusty first mate. It would be the last time he stepped foot on his ship.

The small boat was lowered into the water and Jack began to make his way towards the shores of Port Royal. The sun wasn't even up yet, so Jack knew he'd be surprising his lady with his arrival, the image of her face filling his vision so fully he could almost believe it was there.

By the time he got to the shore the sun was rising fast and soon it would be peaking above the waters in all of it's morning colors. Jack hopped out of the boat and started his way to the town, leaving his things to pick up later. He wanted nothing to weigh him down, keep him back from her, Elizabeth.

Port Royal was only just waking up, nobody yet out in the shops, so Jack was still okay without hiding himself too much. He strolled through the town, waving his arms about himself almost drunkenly. He was sure he was a sight to see, but he didn't care so much as long as he got to see her today.

The town came and went and soon he was standing outside her house. The one they had picked out specifically for this day, when he would come back and not have to hide.

Jack could hear someone inside the house moving about so he knew he didn't have to worry about waking her up. His dark eyes shined excitedly as he walked up to the front door.

Just as he was about to go in the door flew open and he was met with a sight he didn't expect to find on his return. There she was, the woman of his dreams, the one who haunted his every waking thought, her lips attached to another man's.

_She put him out_

Jack felt his heart sink, his stomach twist in knots. This was not how this was supposed to happen. She was supposed to be waiting for him, not off with some other guy!

The two broke apart and the man smiled at her. She gave him her own small smile in return. As the man turned the two both caught sight of Jack, staring at them, his heart slowly breaking.

_Like the burning end of a midnight cigarette_

Elizabeth seemed startled to see him, the man had next to no reaction.

Jack did not respond with misery like what he was feeling inside, instead the only thing he could think to do was get angry. He knew he couldn't stay here, though. If he stayed around here his emotions would overcome him.

"I'll just leave you to that then," Jack stated, his eyes going dark.

Jack could feel his breathing become heavy, his chest heaving in a mix of anger and pain. He turned away from the house, stalking back down the road quickly. Behind him, Elizabeth was calling his name.

"Wait! Jack!" she cried, chasing after him.

But he couldn't stop now. He just couldn't.

"Jack!" she called, her voice sounding scratchy. "Jack!"

He never stopped, didn't look back at her once. It was a good thing he didn't bring his stuff after all, now he didn't have to lug it back with him.

Eventually Elizabeth's voice died down, then stopped altogether. He knew it would, she didn't want him.

As he made his way through the town of Port Royal, the people of the city stopped to stare at him. They were all awake by now, though there still wasn't as many out as there would be in the middle of the day. No one stopped him, not even the Navy was there to stand in his way.

It didn't take long until Jack was back at his small boat, climbing in and making his way back out into the open water. The Pearl would still be waiting for him, he knew. Gibbs wouldn't want to leave for another day just to be sure Jack had gotten settled. He was thankful in that moment that he had such a great friend.

In half the time it took to get to shore, Jack was back at his ship. The crew had seen him lowered a rope, allowing him to climb back aboard.

"Jack!" Gibbs exclaimed when he had made it on the deck. "What are you doing back?""We set sail for Tortuga tonight," he announced, wasting no time with explaining.

The crew stared at him without moving.

"Well?" he asked, gesturing wildly with his hands.

Immediately they burst into action, running around the deck to get the ship ready to make way back into open water. Jack started toward the stairs that would lead to the lower decks of the ship. Gibbs followed behind hastily.

"What in the mother of - what's happened Jack?" Gibbs asked.

Jack Sparrow couldn't answer. He continued until he came to a door that he knew only all too well. It was the door to the rum hold.

The captain of the Pearl entered the small room to the sight of many shelves stocked with bottles of his favorite alcohol, rum. Jack grabbed two bottles off the shelf and uncorked one with his mouth, spitting the cork on the floor and drinking back a large amount.

As he turned to go back to the main deck, Gibbs stopped him.

"Jack," Gibbs said slowly, waiting to see if the captain would explain things himself.

"We set sail as soon as the ship's ready to go," Jack demanded.

Gibbs finally seemed to let the subject drop, "Where's our heading?"

"Tortuga."

Gibbs nodded and the two started their way upstairs, Jack drinking from his bottle all the while.

Less than an hour later the ship was ready to set sail and Jack was well into his fourth bottle of rum. It would take him much longer than a normal person to get drunk, but that's exactly what he was planning to do. He stood at the wheel, holding it steady with one hand, the other hand occupied with the bottle that would become his best friend.

Jack and the crew made it to Tortuga in record time. Already Jack was a drunken mess and Gibbs could figure it out on his own because the captain wasn't telling. His first mate didn't blame him for not talking about it.

Sparrow spent his first day in Tortuga at his favorite pub, surrounding himself with women who fawned over him. He reveled in their presence as he tried to lose himself to the drink he constantly had at hand.

The crew was around somewhere, busy with whatever they did when they went to port. Jack figured they were off with their own women somewhere.

As he looked up from his drink hours later a woman with dark curly hair caught his attention and he narrowed his focus in on her. But as she turned around his hopes were dashed, it was just some wench, not the woman he wanted - didn't want! - to see.

Jack busied himself in his rum.

Everything reminded him of her, Elizabeth. And even the name was painful to think, every time he did it felt like stones in his heart, tugging it down.

_She broke his heart_

Whenever someone would make him think of her, Jack would drown himself in his rum, he couldn't afford to think of her.

_He spent his whole life trying to forget_

"Jack," Gibbs voice came.

Jack looked up at his first mate, the portly man looking down on him with concern. The man hadn't moved since their arrival almost a week ago.

"What?" Jack asked, his voice slightly slurred.

"When are we going to get back to the sea? You know, find treasure? The crew's getting a bit restless, if you know what I mean," Gibbs told him.

Jack's dark eyes met Gibbs' and it was then that he could see the pain that was really there, what was really going on inside his friend's head. He had to look away from the raw emotion he saw there.

"Soon," Jack replied, raising his bottle to his lips.

_We watched him drink his pain away a little at a time_

The conversation was ended at that.

The next day Jack sat at the same spot. There was a seemingly endless supply of rum because he had yet another bottle in his hand. Maybe it was the same one, but everyone knew it wasn't.

It was only just past dawn, but there he was, drinking his heart's content, trying to wash away the pain of her. But she was everywhere. Everywhere he looked, heard, thought.

By nightfall Jack was way past drunk. He'd consumed so much alcohol he could hardly sit up straight. The women had long since left him be, seeing that he wouldn't be a costumer to them tonight. The only thing he'd be doing is passing out on his table.

Jack didn't seem to mind that they'd left. He just kept thinking about what he was trying his hardest to forget. Someone laughed and his head snapped to the side, sure that it was her. But then his eyes landed on a group of women and they laughed again, the sound turning into annoying laughter he couldn't stand.

"One!" someone yelled.

It sounded so much like Elizabeth.

"One order of -" Jack stopped listening. It wasn't her.

_But he never could get drunk enough to get her off his mind_

It continued like that the entire night. No matter how much rum he poured down his throat, she was always there to haunt him. And every time he was sure it was her, he'd look to find someone else and the pain stabbed at him even more.

He knew this wasn't like Jack Sparrow. He should be out, rejoicing that he didn't have anything to settle him down. He was Jack Sparrow and nothing would keep him from his one true love, the sea. But the sea wasn't his one true love anymore and that was just the problem. He loved someone else and she didn't love him back.

Jack gulped back his rum before calling for another bottle.

Another night passed and the next morning Jack called Gibbs over to him. He was still at his same chair, still with rum in his hand. But today he seemed different. Oddly sober, though he was still drinking.

"We're setting sail tomorrow morning," Jack announced as Gibbs sat down across from him.

Gibbs' eyes widened in surprise, "Tomorrow? You sure?"

Jack nodded, "Round up the crew and get them ready. Tomorrow make sure they're ready to leave."Suddenly Gibbs broke out into a grin, "Now there's the Jack I know. Not going to let anything get him down. I'll do what you want, they'll be ready to go bright and early."Jack nodded again, "Good."Gibbs stood from the table and immediately went about to gather the crew and let them know the news, excited to be on his way again.

_Until the night_

The rest of the day Jack stayed in his oddly sober mood. None of the women approached him unless they were back to give him another bottle of rum which he didn't even have to call for anymore. At nightfall Jack stood from his table and slowly made his way out into the filthy Tortuga air. The stench of the pirate port filled his nose, but Jack hardly noticed. He continued to make his way to the docks where his ship was waiting and he climbed aboard.

His room was waiting for him when he entered it. The place was still barren of all his things, he hadn't put them back since he left that day.

Jack sat down at his desk and pulled paper and pen toward himself. Carefully he wrote a simple letter, only one line. He pushed the pen away and held the note tightly in his hand, standing and walking to his bed.

He eyed the door, but knew that no one was out there and that no one would interrupt him. Slowly, Jack pulled the pistol from his belt and stared at it with dull eyes. How could he go on knowing that she didn't want him? He couldn't.

Jack raised the gun to his head.

_He put that bottle to his head and pulled the trigger_

He didn't even hear the pop. The last thought he had was of her, Elizabeth Swann.

_And finally drank away her memory, Life is short but this time it was bigger_

_Than the strength he had to get up off his knees_

In the morning Gibbs entered the captain's room. Jack hadn't come out yet and the day before he'd seemed adamant about leaving early. What he found was a shock that ran throughout his entire body.

Jack Sparrow laid sprawled across his bed, crimson blood staining the blankets and pillows. A gun was in one hand, the other lay crumpled beneath him.

One of the crew members walked in a few minutes later to find what Gibbs had been staring at. Neither of the men spoke. They could do nothing, but stare at their former captain of the Black Pearl.

_We found him with his face down in the pillow_

Eventually the other man announced that they had to clean up the body, they couldn't just leave him there. Gibbs agreed.

Together they rolled Jack around to his front, Gibbs gagging at the sight of Jack's dead body. His face was covered in his own blood, though it was still intact. His hair was matted to his head with the dark liquid.

One thing both of the men noticed was that the captain's hand was curled tightly around something, a piece of paper.

Slowly, Gibbs unfurled his fingers and pried the paper from the dead man's cold grip. He undid the paper only to find a short note in the Jack Sparrow's handwriting, so sad that he almost broke down himself.

_With a note that said I'll love her 'til I die_

Gibbs and the other man exited the room a short while later, explaining to the crew about their captain's demise. Now Gibbs was captain, though he didn't feel like much of one. His first order was to set sail, they would head toward the town of Port Royal.

The Black Pearl made it there in record time and when they arrived Gibbs knew what he had to do. He could be the only one to deliver the news.

The crew sent him on his was in a small rowboat and watched him leave as they had only a month before with their former captain. This time a few men would accompany him, along with the dead body of his best friend.

Gibbs didn't have the exact look of a pirate so he was able to walk through the town without too much curiosity, it also meant he could talk to the people and gather enough information to find out where the governor lived. He wasn't looking forward to notifying Ms. Elizabeth about Jack Sparrow's death, but someone had to do it.

He followed the directions given to him and at around noon, when the sun was almost directly overhead, he arrived at the large mansion. Only to be informed that Elizabeth Swann had her own home at the edge of the town and would be there, not here.

Gibbs turned around and started toward her home, finding that his gut was twisting into knots and sinking ever lower to the ground until it should've been dragging behind him.

At the home of the woman he paused, took a steadying breath and knocked slowly. Elizabeth Swann opened the door, looking slightly frazzled, but otherwise fine.

"Yes?" she questioned, staring at him with open curiosity.

"Ms. Swann?" Gibbs asked, making sure he had the right woman.

She nodded, her brown curls bobbing slightly, "Yes, that's me."Gibbs almost couldn't do it, but he forced his mouth open, forced the words to come out.

"Jack Sparrow," he started. "He's dead."The light in the woman's eyes seemed to fade rapidly, Gibbs could see her suddenly dim.

"Dead?" she asked, her voice hoarse. "How?"

"He killed himself," Gibbs replied. "Put a gun to his head one night."Tears filled Elizabeth's eyes and silently poured down her cheeks at his words. He could say no more.

"We're having a funeral for him this afternoon. You're welcome to come," he invited. He felt like she needed to be there. For both Jack and herself.

Elizabeth nodded gratefully and Gibbs gave her instructions on when and where they would burry Jack Sparrow's remains.

Two hours later a small congregation of people stood under the shade of a willow tree, watching and silently mourning as the infamous Jack Sparrow's body was placed into the ground forever.

_And when we buried him beneath the willow, The angels sang a whiskey lullaby_

It wasn't long until the news of Jack Sparrow's death was everywhere and everyone was talking about it. It was nearly impossible for Elizabeth to go to town without hearing his name at least once.

Many people speculated on why such a man would kill himself. Some thought that it was a murder just made to look like he'd committed suicide, others thought he was crazy and it was about time.

_The rumors flew_

Through everything she heard Elizabeth knew they were all wrong. She was the cause of this all. After the funeral that day Gibbs had passed her a small sheet of paper and with those words she knew that none of their guesses were right.

_But nobody knew how much she blamed herself_

For the first few months she moped about, but she just couldn't continue living like that. Her father was worried and he started sending people to care for her and that was worse than being alone. So for the sake of him and her privacy Elizabeth got her act together. At least when she was in public.

By herself she became something of an alcoholic. Secretly drinking behind other's backs, always at night, most afternoons, sometimes in the morning if she felt she couldn't get out of bed. She was pretty sure no one knew of it, but there was no way to know 100 percent.

_For years and years she tried to hide the whiskey on her breath_

Eventually talk of Sparrow died down, but Elizabeth could never forget him. She knew that his death was her fault and she also knew, she was still in love with him.

Everywhere she went she was reminded of him. A word, a hairstyle, clothing, mention of pirates. It was always something.

It took about a year and a half for her to stop caring if people noticed her drinking habits. The alcohol couldn't get rid of her pain, but it dimmed it for her and she couldn't get rid of that.

_She finally drank her pain away a little at a time_

But no matter how much alcohol she shoved down her throat, she couldn't stop thinking of him, of Jack Sparrow.

_But she never could get drunk enough to get him off her mind_

Elizabeth's father could do nothing to help her and though he tried, there was just nothing he could do. There was nothing she could do either. It was a slippery slope that she was headed down quickly. Nothing could stop it.

_Until the night_

Two and a half years after learning of Jack Sparrow's death Elizabeth locked herself him her home with her drinks, shutting out the rest of the world. On the table was a picture of Jack she'd gotten before he left all those years ago. She picked it up and smiled sadly at it, tears slipping down her cheeks.

"I love you Jack," she whispered.

She carried the picture back to her room and sat down on her bed, staring at it until she finally made up her mind. She had to do it.

Elizabeth Swann opened the drawer of her nightstand and picked up the pistol she had there in case of emergencies. Her hand shook slightly as she lifted it to her temple, the cold metal touching her skin.

_She put that bottle to her head and pulled the trigger_

The only thing she could think about was him.

_And finally drank away his memory_

The next morning her father walked up the steps of the house, opening the front door and waltzing toward Elizabeth's room. He knocked on her door twice and then threw it open, the sight he was suddenly met with, throwing him backwards.

_Life is short but this time it was bigger, Than the strength she had to get up off her knees_

She was laid out on the bed, a gun beside one hand, her other arm curled around what could only be guessed as a picture frame.

_We found her with her face down in the pillow, Clinging to his picture for dear life_

Everyone was notified immediately and it was only later that day were they able to place Elizabeth Swann's body in the ground. Her father picked a place beneath a willow tree, somewhere he thought she would like, though he had no idea that he was laying his daughter next to one deceased pirate.

_We laid her next to him beneath the willow_

The crowd of people who had gathered there were quiet, the only sound being the girl's father's loud sobs. Nobody said a word to him.

_While the angels sang a whiskey lullaby_

Right there, standing around the willow, though nobody could see, Jack and Elizabeth met each other again. Neither of them had any pain on their faces, neither looked aged at all.

A large grin spread across Jack's features and Elizabeth smiled widely back.

"Hello luv," Jack greeted, his dark eyes shining.

"Jack," she replied, suddenly almost shy.

Jack stepped up to Elizabeth, offering her his arm. She took it without hesitation.

"Shall we?" he asked.

He gestured towards the willow tree where there was suddenly stairs, winding their way upwards towards somewhere they couldn't see.

Elizabeth nodded as she stared up at him, still uncertain about what he might think of her.

Jack could see it in her eyes and slowly he bent down, kissing her lips. When he pulled away again he could see all uncertainty was gone and together, they climbed the stairs, while the angels sang a whiskey lullaby.


End file.
